Love Struck Page 5

  Not that I didn’t already have an idea of what was there already.

  Mexico was going to be hell.

  Luckily for my cock, by the time I got back to the room, Cora was fully dressed, and she had her hair pulled back in some sort of braid that made her look like a princess in a fairy tale.

  “Took you long enough. Is one of those for me?” She gestured at the coffee as she shoved her pajamas into her open suitcase.

  I licked the lids of both and held them out. “Sure. Which one you want?”

  Cora rolled her eyes and walked over. “I want the one you made for me. Because we both know you did. Your spit doesn’t gross me out. I’m not in elementary school anymore. I even like to kiss boys now.”

  “Other guys have cooties. I’ve had my shots though.” I handed her the coffee and sat on the edge of the bed. “You about ready?”

  “Just finished packing. You got everything?”

  “I still have to brush my teeth. But I want to finish my coffee first.”

  Cora zipped her suitcase, giving me an all-too-tempting view of her ass as she bent over, and then sat next to me to drink her coffee. “Hurry up. I don’t want to be late. I hate running through airports.”

  “Oh, come on, you love it. The thrill of whether or not we’re going to miss the flight. Counting down gates, since ours is inevitably at the end of the terminal.” I nudged her with my shoulder. “Besides, it’s Tuesday morning. The airport’s not going to be that crowded. It’s not like we’re in New York.”

  She shook her head and downed her coffee. “Doesn’t matter. I’m leaving in five. And if you’re not ready, I’m leaving without you.” She jingled my keys at me as she picked up her bag.

  I finished off my drink and quickly brushed my teeth to get rid of coffee breath before I grabbed Cora around the waist and snagged my keys from her. “You are not driving.” I kissed her cheek and then grabbed her bag before getting my own. “Let’s go.”

  “What do you mean you don’t have any double rooms available? I called two days ago, and the man I talked to switched the room for a double.” Cora’s jaw was tight, but otherwise she didn’t show any sign of the irritation boiling under the surface.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s a popular time here at the resort, and we’re completely booked in the rooms you reserved. If you would like to upgrade, I have a suite available.”

  I rest my hand on Cora’s lower back and held a finger up to the concierge. “Give us a minute.” I steered Cora away from the desk and spoke softly. “What do you want to do? I’m more than happy to pay for an upgrade.”

  “No. They said they could accommodate the change. I’m going to make them.” She furrowed her brow, scowling.

  “Look, Red, we’re in Mexico, steps from the beach. What does it matter if we’re in a regular double room, or a suite, or sharing a king-size bed? Is it really going to be that big a deal?” I pointed at the front door, where tourists were headed out in little more than swim gear. “We’re probably only going to use the room for sleep anyway.”

  She frowned at the poor woman just trying to do her job.

  I grinned. “Honey, we had a double room last night. And if I recall, we did just fine sharing that bed. I think we can manage to share a larger bed for a few days.” It didn’t matter that I would probably wake up hard for a pussy I couldn’t have every day, or that I could easily book a suite for myself and leave her to the king-size bed alone. I just wanted her smile to come back. “And if you find yourself a nice tourist, or a handsome Mexican, I can sleep on a beach chair just as easily as a bed.”

  She rolled her eyes, but the grin slowly came back. “If you’re really sure?”

  I wasn’t at all, but if it kept her from looking so upset, I’d agree to anything. “Nothing would make me happier. Let’s go get keys and get changed. I’m burning up in these winter clothes.”

  She smiled and hugged me. “Thank you. I’m sorry I’m such a mess.”

  “No messier than usual. And if you haven’t chased me off by now, you’re probably not going to.”

  She headed back to the front desk and apologized to the woman who was helping us.

  A few moments later, we had keys in hand, and we were on our way up to our room.

  As Cora threw open the curtains and looked out to the beach and the ocean views, I stared at the single king-size bed. Agreeing to this downstairs was one thing. It seemed like such a simple fix, something easy to get us checked in and onto our vacation. But seeing it there, with its crisp white sheets and piles of pillows, my mind raced with all sorts of possibilities. And I thought king-sized beds were…bigger.

  “I guess we should get out of these clothes.” Cora turned away from the window and walked over to her bag.

  “What?” I choked as I stood behind my suitcase that was thankfully at crotch level while on the bed.

  “Like you said, we’re in Cancun. We should change out of these Nebraska winter clothes and put on something more comfortable. I was thinking maybe we could walk around, do a little sightseeing before we find some dinner?”

  “And a vacation margarita or two?” I waggled my eyebrows suggestively. “You’re going to have to let your hair down a little, Ms. Reynolds.”

  As I watched my hand, I couldn’t figure out exactly what possessed me, but I found myself reaching over her shoulder and wrapping my hand around her braid. I crowded her space and her sweet scent enveloped around me. I tugged her hair, pulling her chin up and her gaze to me. My fingers found the band at the end of her braid and I pulled it free of her hair. Her hair unfurled slowly around her heart-shaped face. I wanted to cup her face, and bring my lips down to hers, but I resisted. Barely.

  I heard her audibly swallow before she shook her hair out and ran her fingers through it. I wanted to do that.

  “You meant literally.” Her voice trembled ever so slightly; I was sure I imagined it.

  “I like your hair down,” I muttered and turned away from her trying to get a hold of myself.

  Cora cleared her throat and rifled through her bag. “You want the bathroom or the bedroom?”

  I swallowed hard, thinking to myself that we could both change here, and see what happened. But instead, I said, “I’ll take the bathroom.” Maybe if I had a few minutes alone, my dick would behave well enough to walk around. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure my jeans were doing a great job of hiding my erection; the board shorts I’d brought definitely wouldn’t do the trick.

  I grabbed what I needed from my suitcase and closed myself in the bathroom.

  As soon as the door was shut, I ran the water as cold in the sink as I could get it. I knew Cora would get suspicious if I turned on the shower, so instead I splashed water on my face and the back of my neck and thought of anything that was a boner killer.

  “You okay in there?” Cora tapped lightly on the door. “Did you fall in?”

  “I’ll be out in a minute.” I quickly changed, still willing myself to focus on baseball, on cold showers, on ice fishing. On Banker Nick. Anything that would keep my cock at less than half mast. I needed to get a grip. I was starting to feel like a perv. She was, after all, just my friend.

  When I opened the door again, I swallowed down my nerves, willing all the hard work I’d done to stay in place. She looked like a fucking vision and I was just fucked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in that.”

  Cora blushed and twisted a little, side to side, which made the emerald green dress she wore swish around her legs. I didn’t know where to keep my gaze, on her long legs or the low-cut top that showed off her cleavage and the small pendant I’d given her. “Here, I’m not a teacher. I don’t have to worry about a student or a parent running into me. I want to be comfortable. Maybe even a little sexy, even if it’s just for me.” She smiled. “I’ve seen you in outfits like that a hundred times though.”

  “Why fix what ain’t broken?” I grinned and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, mostly just to get her out of my line of sig
ht. “You ready, Red?”

  She nodded and picked up a small purse. “I want to look for some souvenirs too. Do you think there are shops nearby?”

  “Only one way to find out. But you shouldn’t carry a bag like that here. It might be a touristy area, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still pickpockets and thieves around. Give me what you need, I’ll keep it in my pocket with my stuff.”

  She quickly pulled out her ID, a credit card, and a lip gloss. “I guess that’s the important stuff. Unless you think I need my passport.”

  “We shouldn’t. In fact…” I grabbed both hers and mine and locked them in the hotel safe. “There.”

  She ran her hands through her loose waves and sighed. “I have got to get better at this international travel thing. If I can ever afford to go on another trip again.”

  I wrapped my arms around her and grinned. “You know, you could always let your devilishly handsome, incredibly charming best friend fly you around the world from time to time. He could use a travel buddy.”

  Cora glanced up at me and then looked away. “You know, Ger, you’ve never actually asked me on a proper trip. You’ve just always talked about it.”

  Was that true? I tried to quickly flip through the catalog of memories. “You might be right about that. I should rectify that this summer, for sure.”

  “If only,” she muttered.

  We strolled out into the hallway of the hotel. “Cancun, here we come.”

  Cora ran past me, her sandals slapping against the floor with every step toward the elevators. Her laugh echoed off the walls, infectious, as I followed her.

  I’d been to Cancun before. At least a dozen times, with fifty or more women dressed far more scantily than Cora was. But it was never more beautiful than even the first five minutes walking around with Red.

  “Here, try these ones on.” I handed her a pair of ridiculous, almost cartoonish sunglasses shaped like a purple masquerade mask.

  Cora laughed and put them on, and then pursed her lips at me and batted her eyelashes. “How do they look? Are they an everyday item?”

  I held my camera up and grinned, snapping a picture of her.

  She threw one arm up in the air and put the other on her hip, puckering her lips at me again. I took another picture.

  I took a few more shots, and then laughed as she pulled off the glasses. “Gorgeous. Cover of Vogue.”

  Cora put the sunglasses back and headed further into the little shop. It was full of all sorts of kitschy things in bright colors and loud patterns, and every few feet she’d grab something and try it on or hold it up.

  My favorite, by far, was the oversized T-shirt that had the outline of a woman’s torso in a string bikini. “Oh, that’s perfect. You have to buy it.”

  “Only if you’re going to wear it.” She held it out. “Or we could get a matching pair. You wear that one, I’ll get the buff man abs.” She grabbed another off the rack and held them up, side by side.

  I laughed. “I’m expecting you to wear it with me at some point on this trip.”

  “Deal.” She continued through the shop, wandering racks and racks. I could’ve followed her through all of Cancun this way, just content to watch her unchecked glee.

  While she was shopping, my phone went off in my pocket.

  Kelly: How’s the trip going?

  Gerard: Good. It’s nice here. Way better than the drab winter you’re dealing with.

  Kelly: You kiss her yet?

  Gerard: Nope. Not going to. We’re friends. And I’m happy with that.

  Kelly: Liar.

  Gerard: Did you dump your friend?

  Kelly: He was never my friend. He was a douchebag who thought he could keep me in his back pocket. I did, however, meet someone.

  Gerard: You did?

  Kelly: Too early to say more than that.

  Gerard: Is he a decent guy?

  Kelly: More decent than you.

  Gerard: High praise. I’ll look forward to meeting him.

  Kelly: You aren’t going to think he’s a loser and get all jealous?

  Gerard: That was the old me. And you and I are truly friends. Aren’t we?

  Kelly: Don’t be insecure now.

  Gerard: This whole trip has been off kilter. I’m getting over it though. Moving on.

  Kelly: If that’s really what you want, I hope you can. I’ll tell you. Nearly a week without that asshole and I feel like a whole new woman.

  Gerard: I’m glad. You deserve far better.

  Kelly: I do. And I’m going to get it.

  Gerard: I gotta go. Keep me posted on the new guy.

  Kelly: Keep me posted on operation moving on.

  “Who are you talking to?” Cora asked as she approached me.

  “Kelly.”

  “Oh? She have house business or something?”

  I shook my head. “She was asking about my trip and telling me about the men in her life.”

  Her brows rose. “You guys are that close?”

  “We’ve been talking some.”

  Cora cocked her hip. “Do you tell her about the women in your life?”

  “You’re the only woman in my life.”

  “Yeah, me and a hundred scantily clad women.”

  Irritation blossomed in my chest. “You ready to hit a new place?”

  “Sure.”

  She hadn’t returned to her full bubbly state as we moved on, but I wasn’t about to respond to her. It was petulant, and if I didn’t know better sprouted from jealousy. But what really pissed me off was she was mad I had another friend who happened to be a girl. She wasn’t jealous of the models. Which just confirmed what I’d been telling Kelly was absolutely true. I needed to move on from Cora once and for all.

  When we’d exhausted a couple tourist shops, Cora had picked up a few little things for fellow teachers, and I had the bag holding the novelty T-shirts. It was far from a heavy load, but still I asked, “Why don’t we take these back to the room before dinner?”

  “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” She smiled at me, her cheeks pink from the sun. “Are you having a good time?”

  “I’m having a great time.” I shifted the bags in my hands, combining them all in with the T-shirts. Since the conversation of Kelly fell away, the tension between us eased and we fell back into a normal pattern together.

  While I wanted to say strong, and just move on, part of me felt like I couldn’t do it, until I knew for sure there was nothing between us. I knew bringing up my feelings would just put a strain on the trip, and we’d barely started day one. I didn’t want to make things weird. I’d lasted twelve years with these feelings, I could make it a few more days.

  But I didn’t know how I’d make it through watching her date another man who wasn’t good enough for her, only to watch him break her heart again. That was a cycle I could do without. If she could just see what was right in front of her.

  “Are we going to get something authentically Mexican for dinner? Or we could just eat at the resort. It’s all-inclusive.” Cora grinned at me as we rode up the elevator. “You mentioned margaritas. I very rarely drink tequila. Are you going to watch me, make sure I don’t make a fool of myself, just in case I try to act out a country song?”

  “You’re safe with me. But maybe I should bring the T-shirts. Wouldn’t want you to find yourself without clothes.” I winked at her and dumped everything on top of my suitcase. “Do you need anything else before we go?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve got everything I could possibly need right there.” She gestured at me from head to toe. “Personal bag carrier, holder of my money and ID, knight in case of tequila shenanigans. I’m good.”

  “And sunblock applicator tomorrow. You’re already a little pink. I’m not letting you get sunburned, just so you spend the whole rest of the trip miserable.”

  “We spent most of the day inside. I’m just warm. I doubt I’ve already started burning.” Still, she checked her shoulders, and grabbed a large swath of fabric
out of the souvenir bag, wrapping it around her like a thin shawl. “But just in case.”

  I hated to see her cover up, after spending all day watching her bare shoulders, her legs, and her cleavage. But my dick would probably appreciate the respite. I held out my arm and said with a smile, “Dinner, then?”

  “Lead the way.”

  I didn’t want to just have food at the resort; not when we had the entirety of Cancun at our disposal.

  Instead, we found a small cantina off the beach with spicy aromatics and thumping music pouring out, and their sign boasted the best margaritas in town.

  I wondered just how many places boasted the same thing, but as we walked in and saw that it wasn’t just full of tourists, but plenty of people speaking rapid Spanish at the tables, I figured it was probably a pretty good place to start our vacation.

  Cora smiled and pointed at the dance floor. “You going to take me for a spin later?”

  “As long as you don’t mind that I have no idea what I’m doing, I’m all yours.” I grinned as a busy waitress stopped by and dropped off chips and salsa. “Dos margaritas, por favor.”

  She nodded and headed back to the kitchen.

  “Since when do you speak Spanish? If I recall correctly, you were iffy at best in high school.”

  I shrugged. “It comes in handy to have at least a few phrases. I’ve also got some Italian and French under my belt. You never know when you’re going to find yourself with a model who doesn’t speak English very well.”

  “And ordering margaritas comes in handy with these models, huh?” She shook her head.

  I leaned forward conspiratorially. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I wasn’t a saint. Travelling around the world with what fashion considered to be the most beautiful women, I’d certainly had plenty of offers, but Cora had always assumed I was a player, bedding any woman who wanted me to. Sometimes, I wondered if I’d be better off doing that, if it would help get Cora out of my mind. But the times I gave in to my baser needs just left me feeling hollow. The couple of relationships I had in my life, usually when Cora was heavily involved with the latest loser in hers, we never clicked. The relationship only got so far before it would inevitably come to an end.